Lief and Jasmine Speak
by JasmineLief
Summary: Ok, so this is my first ever Fanfic! R&R! So what happens when Lief comes across Jasmine's room late at night? An adventure begins!
1. Secret Actions?

Lief walks around the castle in search of something to do. "_Wow_, " he thinks, "_is it really that late?_" He decides to go back to his room when he comes by Jasmine's room. He can't help but walk in to see if she's safe and sound by impulse. "She's asleep. Jasmine looks so peaceful when she's sleeping." He murmurs to himself. He leans over, and kisses her cheek without thinking, and runs out of the room in embarrassment. "Huh? Who is that! Get back here!" yelled Jasmine, as the sudden kiss woke her up. She turns on the light only to find the door open, and nobody there.

The Next Day

Jasmine finds Lief asleep in the palace library talking in his sleep about some kiss. "Weird, he's usually never here and never sleeps anywhere that's not his room." Lief is not the only one in the other's room at night, because when Jasmine can't sleep, she finds comfort in watching Lief as he dreams. "Lief? Lief? Wake up, its midday and I have to tell you something!" she says, trying to wake him up. Instead, he unknowingly puts his arms around her and kisses her forehead. Shocked, Jasmine pulls away and runs to the gardens, thinking he did it on purpose.

"_But, why would he kiss me? He obviously doesn't like me that way. Especially since he went to bring home a bride from Tora_," thought Jasmine. "_He'd never fall for me anyway._" she thought glumly. "Jasmine? What are you doing all alone out here?" asked Barda, one of the palace guards. Jasmine, who was startled and jolted back to reality said, "Oh, Barda, its just you! You scared me half to death!" Barda looked at her, and knew something was wrong. "Are you ok? You're not acting like yourself," he said uncertainly. "Of course I'm ok! Why wouldn't I be?" retorted Jasmine, who was slightly annoyed by this question. She stalked back to the castle, only to run into Doom.

"Jasmine! I've been looking for you! Lief wants to talk with you." He said. Jasmine sighed and said, "I'll be right there! Where is he?" When Doom told her that Lief was in the library still, she darted up the stairs to meet him. "Jasmine, I've been meaning to talk with you for some time now," he said. "Some time? We see each other every day! What do you mean by that?" she asked curiously. "But before you begin, may I say something first?" Lief said, "Ok, go ahead." Jasmine thought for a bit, then she began, "Well, late last night, I heard some footsteps around the castle before I turned off the lantern." Lief gulped. "Then, I woke up a few hours later, to find that my door was open. I also believe that this creep kissed me too." And with that, she finished, leaving Lief very uncomfortable. "Well," he started, "It could've been your father, Doom." "I had thought about that too, but before I went to bed, he was already asleep. It can't have been him." Said Jasmine. Lief blushed sheepishly and said, "What if I told you that was me?" Surprised, Jasmine answered, "I might just believe you, considering what you did when you were 'asleep'." Annoyed Jasmine storms off and seeks Queen Sharn, leaving Lief to wonder what she meant by "_what you did when you were asleep_".

"Sharn? Sharn? Where are you?" called Jasmine, desperately looking for Lief's mother. "Yes honey, I'm coming. What's wrong Jasmine?" answered Sharn. Jasmine began to sob and runs over to her. "Oh Sharn! I'm so confused! Someone was in my room last night and kissed me and then Lief kissed me in his sleep and then he said it was him at night and I just don't know what to do! Please, help me!" she cried. "Hush now, we'll figure this out." Said Sharn softly, "please, start from the beginning." Jasmine told Sharn everything starting the day she found out the Lief had gone to Tora to find a bride. The queen listened to every word, and then came up with an answer. "Jasmine, has it ever occurred to you the Lief has feelings for you? He speaks of you every chance he gets and never becomes tired of you." Jasmine thinks for a moment and slowly says, "But why then, would he go to Tora to find his bride? When he can just look here and find a willing person who really does love him?" realizing she said too much, Jasmine stops talking and blushes a deep red. "I didn't mean what I just said, I-I, I said too much. Now this ruins all your plans for him doesn't it?" Sharn looks at Jasmine with motherly eyes and says, "The girl from Tora is just temporary! She is only here so that when the time is right, he can propose to the correct woman. She is Lief's cousin!" Jasmine stared wide-eyed and Sharn, shocked at the news.

Running to find Lief to apologize, Jasmine notices him in a corner of the wall, staring into his hands. "What's wrong? Did I upset you?" she asks. Knowing Lief, he probably was really hurt by her harsh words. "No, I just didn't think you'd react so, so angrily. What did I do when I was asleep? Did I hurt you? Please tell me I'm wrong." Replied Lief. "No! Of course not! You just caught me off guard with that kiss." Said Jasmine sheepishly. "What kiss?" said Lief, alarmed. "Well, I found you asleep in the library and I tried to wake you up. Next thing I know, I'm in your arms and you kiss my forehead," explained Jasmine. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have acted so rashly if I were awake." He said. "Really? I would," said Jasmine mischievously. "Oh really?" asked Lief. Without another word, Jasmine leaned over and kissed Lief. Surprised, he realized that he had wanted this for a long time. Without breaking the kiss, he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Lief?" "Yes Jasmine?" "I love you." With a wide grin on his face, he said lovingly, "I love you too Jasmine. I can't believe I was such a fool as to wait so long to tell you this." They walked down the stairs hand in hand, running into Doom and Barda. With one look, both men knew what had happened in the library. One wasn't too happy about it.


	2. Discoveries and Blessings

Doom's face contorted with rage at the sight of Jasmine's hand in Lief's. "What is going on here? I do not approve of this! Let go of my daughter this instant!" he yelled. "Doom! Calm down, they're just holding hands. Besides, they are only kids." Boomed Barda, trying to protect the two young lovers. Lief and Jasmine stood motionless and silent in alarm. Finally Jasmine mustered up the courage to say, "Father! I love him, and he loves me. You cannot change that. Another thing that you cannot change is that I love you as well. You do know that nobody could ever replace you, right?" she said in a shaking but confident voice. Doom's facial expression softened a little, but he was still furious at Lief. "And you! Why are you touching my daughter without my consent! That is unacceptable!" "I am sorry sir, but as Jasmine said earlier, I love her as well. Maybe we could learn to share her love do you not agree?" he replied. Doom, realizing that he had no choice, gave up and said, "I'll go along with your little 'sharing plan'. You two may continue to see each other romantically," he looked to Lief and added, "but you are not to take it too far, do you hear me?" Lief nodded and Doom, sensing his point was understood, walked away.

"Whew! I thought for sure that Doom was going to rip you to shreds, Lief!" exclaimed Barda. "Yes, I am very glad he did not hurt you." Said Jasmine happily. "Well, I am going to leave you two alone, I am late to train the guards. " said Barda gruffly. Watching him walk away, Lief spoke, "Wow Jasmine, I thought that your father would forbid us to see each other and deny you the right to leave his sight!" he said, relieved that it was not so. Smiling, Jasmine led him to the gardens and up her favorite tree, the one that Endon shot the golden arrow into. While they climbed, Jasmine's mind wandered to the time that she had first met Lief. "Do you remember the first time we met?" asked Lief, as if reading her mind. As she sat down on a thick branch she said, "How could I not? I also seem to remember a very silly little boy who walked straight onto the Wenn Del path, got himself and his companion stunned by the Wenn, and almost eaten by the Wennbar." Said Jasmine, reminiscing in old memories. Lief feigned hurt feelings and said, "Oh. Well I remember a wild thief girl who almost took this very cloak." He touched the thick fabric that hung over his shoulders. Jasmine punched his arm playfully, pushing him off the branch, her falling with him. Laughing when they hit the ground, Lief and Jasmine tumbled across the garden, finally stopping behind a bush. With Jasmine on top of him still giggling, he pulled the leaves and twigs gently out of her hair. He leaned in and kissed her, her stunned eyes widening and slowly closing. "Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" asked Lief. Jasmine blushed and answered, "You always know exactly what to say. " "King Lief? King Lief! Where are you?" called a guard. Surprised, Lief stood up and said, "Yes? I am here, now what is the matter?" The guard said slowly, "Queen Sharn wishes to speak with you," eyeing Jasmine he said, "alone." Shrugging he glanced at her, "Go." she mouthed, and giving her an apologetic look, he followed the guard.

"Where is she? " asked Lief, trying to hurry up so he could get back to Jasmine. Seeing her disappointed face when he left hurt him as much as a stab in the stomach. Seeing his face, the guard said, "She is in the kitchens, waiting for you, King Lief." He bowed and stalked off down the great front hall and out to the front gates. Sprinting to the kitchens, he found his mother sitting with a teacup in her hands, obviously waiting to have the midday tea with him. "So Lief, as you may know, your eighteenth birthday is coming soon. In that time, you must choose a bride from which will come your heir. I am hoping that you have begun to think about this matter," she said giving him a stern look that only she could give, "and I think that Jasmine would make an excellent candidate." Lief blinked away the surprise and sighed with relief. He hadn't known that the news of the encounter with Doom and Barda could travel so quickly around the castle. "Yes mother, I do intend on asking Jasmine to marry me. When the time comes of course. Although I do not think that she is ready to become a queen, seeing as she enjoys freedom. Being my wife would restrict her terribly and I would hate to see her miserable all for me." He said thoughtfully. Sharn raised her eyebrows, to think that two short years ago this young king was a street boy in Del breaking curfew and toying with the guards, could be so thoughtful towards the woman he loved. She took a sip of her now lukewarm tea and asked, "And how, my son, do you intend on asking her for her hand? Are you sure that Doom will approve after his feelings towards seeing you and Jasmine upstairs?" Lief, who was not used to being asked so many questions stuttered, " I-I ought to ask her soon, b-but it is still t-too early for such things. A-as for Doom, well, I just do not know what to do about him." After talking about his future for a while, a now satisfied Sharn allowed Lief to take his leave.

As he made his way back into the gardens, Lief ran straight into Jasmine as he was deep I his thoughts. "Oh Jasmine, I am sorry I did not see you there. I did not cause you harm, right?" Jasmine looked at him and said, "Yes it is ok, but are you alright? You don't seem like yourself." Managing a smile Lief nodded. "It is nothing for you to worry about Jasmine. I was just thinking about the future is all." Jasmine instantly knew what he was talking about. "A wife huh? Don't you think that it's a bit too early to be thinking about those things?" she asked with a tone that Lief could not figure out what it meant. "That's what I told mother! She will not listen!" said Lief quickly. When he said that, Jasmine's fears and her expression softened, then she relaxed. With a stern voice she said, "Lief, promise me that you won't marry before you feel that you're ready." Lief looked into her eyes, "Jasmine, I promise you that I won't marry until I'm ready. I swear on my life and our love." he said earnestly. Jasmine, satisfied, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and went back into the palace to think about what she would do if Lief found a bride, and what she'd do to ease the pain. _"I certainly wouldn't be his first choice. I mean, among all the well brought up women in Del, I am the least ready for the throne. Maybe it'd be best for Lief if I left the palace..."_


	3. Jasmine Goes Home

"_Maybe it'd be best for Lief if I left the palace…"_

"How will I do it?" muttered Jasmine to herself painfully, "I can't write because I always turned Lief down for lessons. I could ask though… No, should I just go and speak to him and tell him I'm leaving? It's awfully difficult and no doubt the most awkward way but, he must know."

"Lief? Lief! I have to talk to you!" she called after packing a small bag with her few belongings. "I'm coming, I'm coming Jasmine. There's no need to yell my love." When Lief said this, it caused Jasmine to rethink what she was about to say. _"No, I must tell him. I don't want to end up hurt in the end when he decides to marry another woman beside myself. I just can't stay here any longer Lief, that's all I have to say. He'll understand, I know it." _After that argument with herself, Jasmine regained composure and began with her sad news. "Lief, you knew that some day I'd have to leave the palace, right?" Lief almost choked, knowing what she was about to say but he managed a nod. "I can't stay here any longer knowing what you may do in the future. I do not want to end up getting hurt. I know this may sound like a selfish, cowardly thing to do, leave because I'm scared of being hurt, but this is what I must do. I'm sorry." Lief stood, dumbstruck for a moment and then, his feelings poured out, "No Jasmine! I will not let you leave! I knew that you'd end up going home but not now! Not after what we just went through! Not without me…" Jasmine shook her head sadly and said to him, "Lief, you may not understand why I am leaving, but know this, I love you. I will never stop loving you even if I die because of it." She softly kissed his cheek, turned, and walked away.

_"Lief, I'm sorry that I hurt you. It is the only way to avoid bad things from happening to us. I'm so sorry." _ Thought Jasmine as she walked away from the now crumpled Lief. "If you are really leaving Jasmine, remember this: I love you too. You may return at any time if you wish. I will welcome you with open arms, and I will wait for that day with all the hope I have." He called out to her, as loudly as his broken heart would let him. This caused Jasmine to stop and turn to look at Lief. Then she said something that he could not hear. "I'll miss you, but I will not return." Jasmine left the palace with a heavy heart and when she passed the tree that she and Lief had been in not so long ago, she could not help but burst into tears. "No Jasmine. Stop crying. Only weak little girls cry. You-You can d-do it…" she said to herself, trying to stop, but the tears kept rolling down her cheeks, as if they'd never stop. She dropped to the ground under the oak tree, and sat there until she felt she could move again. As she thought of Lief, and the moments they had shared, she felt her heart break further. Setting her eyes to the Forests of Silence, Jasmine began her journey home.


	4. Grief and Memories

Lief sank to his knees and watched Jasmine go. Suddenly filled with guilt, thinking he was the reason she was leaving he shouted, "If you are really leaving Jasmine, remember this: I love you too. You may return at any time if you wish. I will welcome you with open arms, and I will wait for that day with all the hope I have." He saw her turn around and say something that he did not hear and he tried to read her lips, but he couldn't. Then Jasmine turned and walked out as Lief watched. His shoulders slumped as he finished falling to the floor. A single tear trickled down his cheek. He gathered himself as best he could and made his way upstairs. He found himself inside of Jasmine's room sitting on her bed. As he shifted positions, something rustled on the pillow. It was a crudely written not to him from Jasmine. It read: _"Lief, im soree that i left yoo. it wasnt mi first chois eether, but i had to go. noing that yoo were going to choos a bride from that was wel bread broke mi hart. i wil miss yoo." _Smiling a little at Jasmine's mistakes, it hit him that this was reality. He began to cry softly and to curse at his stupidity. "Jasmine? Jasmine, I need you!" called Sharn. She stepped in only to find her son weeping with a crumpled, now wet, piece of paper in his hands. "What's the matter Lief? Did you and Jasmine have a fight? That's hardly anything to cry about." Suddenly Lief felt anger towards his mother. He exploded with rage, "This is all your fault! She left because you were forcing me into marriage before she was ready! She suspected that I'd choose another and now she's gone and I can't do anything about it! She was the only girl I ever loved and now it's ruined!" he stormed out of the room in a huff, leaving the note behind. Stunned and not understanding, she picked the note up and read it. Then she understood, and ran to find Barda.

Jasmine spoke to the trees, asking them to help her find her way home. They obliged and she ended up at her old, burnt house. "This isn't what I meant when I said home!" she shouted at the trees. Gingerly, she stepped into the charred house and looked around. To the left, stood the small kitchen and to her right were the equally small bedrooms. She walked into her room and found the burnt remains of an old Kin doll her mother had made her. Struggling to remember its name, she finally knew that it was called Joy. Picking her up, Jasmine couldn't help but remember that while at the dreaming spring, Lief had dreamt about his home and had found a Kin doll too. Shaking the memory away, she continued on to her parents' room. She was driven to tears once more at the sight of a broken picture frame holding a family picture that they took when Jasmine was but a baby. Folding it up, she wiped her eyes, and added it to her pack with the doll. Looking around, her eyes settled on the bed and she sat down to think about her day so far, _"Well, I managed to break both my heart and Lief's, cry __twice__, and unearth old family memories. Am I really that cold-hearted that I could break his heart without even giving it a second thought? No. I had to do it. It's better this way." _ She thought sadly. Getting up, she managed to find her way back to "the nest" she had built before she had met Lief and Barda. It was just as she had left it, only a little dustier. Putting the pack down, Jasmine noticed that she hadn't taken off the necklace that Lief had made her a while back. Caressing the pendant, memories started pouring back. All the times the trio had fought monsters for the seven gems of the Belt, Their quest for the Pirran Pipe, even the Four Sisters. The times she had laughed at Lief's silliness and Barda's mistakes, the times that she almost and did cry. She vividly remembered the Rithmere Games, when Glock died and gave her his talismans. Her memories gave her strength and she loved remembering the nice things they had done together. Then her love for Lief took over and she thought that if she didn't stop remembering those times, that she'd go back to the palace and melt in Lief's arms, only to be let down in a few months' time. "Squack Squack!" Jasmine looked out the opening of the nest and saw that Kree had come with Fili to see her. "How did you know I was here? How did you find me?" she asked, shocked to see them there. Jasmine was finally beginning to cheer up meanwhile Lief was sinking deeper into depression…


	5. Questions and Dreams

****Editor's Note! Sorry that the chapters are so short... On word, it looks like three pages, but it ends up looking like three paragraphs here! Oh well, I'll work on that... Thankies and Read On!  
><strong>** -LiefJasmine****

"When I find Jasmine, she's going to wish she'd never met that boy." Said Doom icily after Sharn had told him of Jasmine's disappearance.

"Don't be so hard on her, after all, she did do it out of love for Lief." Replied Sharn, desperately trying to calm him down.

"That's exactly why she's in so much trouble! She didn't even bother to include me on this decision and she just goes off with him without my consent!" cried Doom angrily. "If she hadn't told me the way that she and Lief did, then I'd be mad for her leaving more than I am now, instead of the love part."

"Just please try not to put the blame on either of them, remember that this could possibly be your fault too. She could've been influenced by your reaction the other day." She said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Doom nodded slightly, ticked off by what she just said, but trying to concentrate on finding his daughter. "Do you know where she lived after Anna and I were taken by the Gray Guards? I'm almost positive that she remained in the Forests, but I don't know where."

Shaking her head, Sharn answered, "The only ones who may know are Lief and Barda. Lief won't talk to anybody, let alone either of us. Barda may know but I seriously doubt it."

"Well we have to get Lief to speak anyways and Barda is attentive enough to have noticed that from the beginning. Just go talk to Barda and I'll take care of your son." He growled.

Sharn nodded stiffly and said, "Alright, just don't cause him anymore pain. You know that this is killing him."

"No promises." Was all that Doom said as he stomped off out of the meeting room.

"Lief! Just answer the question. Do. You. Know. Where. She. Could've. Gone? Just say yes or no and let's get this over with!" Yelled Doom impatiently.

Lief just stared out the window of Jasmine's bedroom. He hadn't left the room, eaten, or talked to anybody since Jasmine had left.

Frustrated, Doom resorted to slapping Lief across the face.

"Ow!" said Lief, waving Doom's hand away, breaking his streak of silence.

"Ha! You finally speak! Now just answer me boy, and I'll leave you alone to mope around selfishly!" Doom yelled once again, loosing whatever patience he had left.

Shaking his head, Lief turned his back to Doom, and resumed staring out the window as he had before, hoping that he'd see Jasmine's small figure walking back. The truth was, he didn't know. He was unconscious when the Wenn dragged him across the Forest and when he woke up; neither he nor Barda knew where they were. _"Do you think that I'd still be here if I knew where she'd lived before? No. I'd be looking for her instead of abusing others because I'm not a very good father." _Thought Lief to himself.

Finally at the end of his rope, Doom shouted, "Fine! If you don't want to help find you little _girlfriend_, who is **my** daughter because your fragile little heart can't bear the fact that she's gone and it's all your fault, then go ahead and—"

Cutting him off and rising up in anger and disbelief, Lief pointed to the door and said in a voice so cold, and looked at him so angrily, that if looks could kill, Doom would've died on the spot, "Get. The. Hell. Out."

Insulted and speechless, Doom left Lief to nurse his opened emotional wounds on his own. Sharn, although a lot quieter, wasn't having much luck either.

"For the millionth time Sharn, **NO **I don't know where she lived before nor do I know where she is now." Said Barda impatiently, wanting to get back to training the other palace guards.

"Ok, Ok! Doom won't be too happy about this, but if it's the truth, it must be told." Said Sharn disappointedly.

Back in the Forests, Jasmine sat high up in a tree looking up at the big, shining moon. Fili and Kree having families of their own now, had to leave Jasmine on her own. "I wonder what Lief and the others are doing right now," she said to no one in particular. "Doom is probably so angry that when he finds me, he'll kill me. Sharn is probably worried out of her motherly mind. I don't know about Barda… Probably training. Lief, oh I know what he's probably doing. He's either too depressed to mover, or he's out chasing girls to forget about me." She sighed.

Climbing out of the tree, her eyes land on a glimmering object on the floor. Wondering what it is, Jasmine lands lightly on the floor and picks it up. "It's a silver chain," she said again, to nobody. "What's that doing here? Maybe a traveler or something." She closed her fist around it, intending to add it to the pile of oddities she had in the nest, and makes her way back to her tree.

Now comfortably under a blanket, Jasmine falls into a restless sleep.

_**I'm in trouble. That's why I'm running. But why? **__She looks over her shoulder.__**Oh my god. It's Lief. Why is he running after me? With his sword? This can't be happening. **__Running as fast as she can, she stumbles and falls.__**This is it. He's almost here. I'm going to die right here, right now. Why Lief? Why now. What did I do? **__Suddenly remembering when she left, she knows it's too late. Lief raises his sword and…_

Waking with a start, Jasmine realized that it was just a dream. "Just a dream… A really, bad dream." She said to herself, trying to calm down.

She goes back to sleep, only to dream worse things than death by Lief's sword. Worse things indeed.


	6. The Quest Begins Once More

****A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner... With projects, school, and other random things happening, I haven't had much time to work on this. Thanks for being patient and following Lief on his quest so far! Read on!****

Finally deciding that enough was enough, Lief got up from the bed and began to make plans. _"Should I go and try to find Jasmine on my own or just stay here and try to get over the fact that she's probably never coming back? No. I will not just _stay here_; I'm going to find her. I swear it." _He murmured to himself. Lief walked quickly to his bedroom, so he would not be seen. Swiftly making a small pack, he wrote a quick note to Sharn and Doom saying:

_**Mother and Doom,**_

_** I am going to find Jasmine so please do not fret or try to find me. Doom, do not be angry with me, I know you love her but so do I. This decision is final and I will not come back unless I have convinced Jasmine to come home or she has turned me down. I need an answer.**_

_** -Lief**_

After stopping by the kitchen to get a small bit of food, Lief set out on his journey into the Forests of Silence to find his only love, Jasmine of the Forest.

A few hours later, Lief took a map of the Forests of Silence out of his pocket. "So Barda and I entered… Here," he said, pointing to where he and his companion had began their quest. "So the Wenn attacked us around… Here. After that, I'm not sure where we went." He sighed and then looked up at the night sky. His stomach growled and Lief decided to stop for the night and make camp.

"Wow. I can still see the palace from here. At this rate, it'll be two more days before I make it to the Forests. Doom and Mother had better not be looking for me, they're sure to find me here." Said Lief disappointedly. He finished eating his ration for the night and fell asleep.

When Lief woke up, he had forgotten where he was. After panicking, he remembered where he was and why. Packing up his things, he began walking again, determined to make haste and reach the Forests by sundown.

As he neared the forest, he began hearing little mice and other tiny creatures and every time, he jumped a mile high and drew his sword at the unsuspecting animal. He finally met his goal just as the sun was setting, so he just climbed a tree with the little energy he had left and slept with his hand on the Opal until he once again woke.

His determination fueling him, he jumped out of the tree and began to look around his surroundings. Suddenly realizing where he was, he jumped for joy. "I'm close to the cave where we found the first gem and Gorl, its guardian! If I go there, I can try to remember the way to Jasmine's home!" Running to reach the cave, his heart was pounding in excitement and anxiety. _"What if she won't come back? What if she decides she hates me and refuses to even see me? Then this will have been all a waste and I'd have put my mother and Doom through so much stress and worry for nothing. There is no time for this Lief! Just focus on the task ahead…" _he thought to himself.

Finally reaching the mighty cave, Lief stopped to rest his aching muscles. Putting his hand to the Diamond for strength, he instantly felt better. He rose and began to walk along the path, until he came across a traveler. "Hello young man! Now what would a fine young person as yourself be doing in these accursed forests when he could be chasing girls all day?" said the old man. "What is your name?"

Thinking quickly Lief answered the man, so he wouldn't seem rude, "I am… Twig!" he said, remembering his fake name from the Rithmere games. "And as to what I'm doing here, I am chasing a girl. She has run away and I am determined to find her and bring her home."

With a smile the old man said, "Why hello there Twig! I do wish you the best of luck on finding your love!" With a wave and a wink, the man began to walk away.

"Wait! How did you know I am in love with this girl?" yelled Lief after the man.

Slowing down to a stop, the man turned around and said, "Son, just by the way you talked about her, I knew that. Take this," he said tossing a small bag to him, "for it will help you on your journey. Bought it from Tom myself." Then he left Lief to marvel at the contents of the bag.

The bag was labeled,

**Looking Bugs**

**Used for surveying surroundings, finding things, and when an extra eye is needed. **

**USE WITH CAUTION. ONLY USE ONE AT A TIME!**

Turning the bag over he read the instructions. "Take one **Looking Bug** from the bag and put it on the ground. For surveying surroundings, let it roam around and call it back with a whistle. For finding things, give it something that smells like the object and follow it. For an extra eye, place it on forehead and focus on a third eye. You will be able to use it as another eye."

"Huh, this is pretty useful! Let me see…" he began rummaging through his pack to find a small bag that Jasmine had used to train the messenger birds. This, surely would do the trick. "Here we go! He selected a Looking Bug from the bag, and placed it on the ground. Instantly it turned into a giant beetle and waited for orders. Lief emptied the contents and placed it next to it in awe. The beetle ate the bag. "Hey! That was Jasmine's!" Lief cried out. Suddenly, the beetle began to run. Lief saw that he had no choice but to follow it and began running after the gigantic beetle.


	7. A Voice Through the Trees

****Author's Note: I'M SORRY! Lately I haven't updated! I'm suuuuuuuuper sorry everyone! Oh, and I don't own anything… Sadly, it's all Emily Rodda's… EXCEPT THE BEETLES! Yay! Ok, read on!****

"This thing is too fast for me..." sighed Lief after running after a weird beetle given to him by a traveler for what seemed like hours. "If I tie it to a rope, will that even do anything? I doubt it but I'll try it. Anything to get it to slow down!"

He then began to look for a sturdy looking vine to use as rope. When he found one, he turned to where he had left the giant beetle. To his surprise, it wasn't there.

"Not where in the name of Deltora did that bug go? How could I have lost a five foot long beetle!" he cried in disbelief as he looked all around him. Then, he remembered that these beetles were from Tom.

"Can't last long either can they? Now what do I give the next beetle?" he said defeatedly. He hadn't brought anything else with Jasmine's scent on it because, well he didn't think that he'd need it. Racking his brain and tearing apart his pack, he searched and searched for anything that Jasmine could've touched. Suddenly remembering that Jasmine's smell was all over him, he began to think of what he could give to the beetle that wasn't of any importance.

His cloak? No way. His sword? What if he ran into trouble? Surely not his shirt or pants… Jasmine wouldn't touch his socks or undergarments…. His headband? Perfect. Jasmine had flung it at him a few days earlier telling him to hurry up and finish getting dressed.

Quickly, he plucked a beetle from the bag and set it on the ground. He took off his headband and cut it into several small pieces in case he would need more, not wanting to disrobe in the middle of the forest. In moments the beetle sprang to life as it had before and devoured the piece of cloth given to it. He tied the vine-rope abound it's head and prepared to run.

Gathering his energy, Lief said, "It's Jasmine we're looking for, I'm already here." As if it understood, it began to run as fast and swiftly as the wind. Lief felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and he felt as if his arm would be torn off. He was forced to let go and just keep running for he had no time to waste.

As Jasmine woke up, the trees were whispering to her, trying to tell her something.

"A giant bug? Is this some sort of monster?" she asked in disbelief. The trees had told her that a gigantic bug and a boy were running through the forest so fast, that they couldn't tell who the boy was.

"Well, at least it's not Lief. We didn't have any weird monsters at the palace." She said, obviously convinced that Lief would not come for her.

"Anyway, he has too many kingly duties to attend to take time off and come looking for a wild girl in the Forests of Silence." She sighed. Trying to push the thought out of her head, she suddenly remembered the chain she had found a few days back. Fingering the fragile steel, she realized that it was a tiny Belt of Deltora, complete with a tiny Diamond, Emerald, Lapis Lazuli, Topaz, Opal, Ruby, and an Amethyst.

"Wow, how did I not notice this earlier?" she whispered in amazement. "You'd think I'd see seven gleaming gems attached to the chain!" Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted but a loud thumping noise outside. As she rose to see what was going on outside with her dagger drawn, there came a voice,

"Jasmine! Jasmine, are you there?" said the voice. She then realized that it was Lief's.


	8. Meeting and Capture

****Author's Note: I'm trying to make the chapters longer so here's my first attempt at a looooong chapter! (Ok, so it's not LONG but, longer than usual [longest one yet!] ok?) As I said before, I own nothing except Joshua and Grandfather. Thanks to everybody who reviews and gives me tips! Ok, I'll stop wasting your time now… Read On!****

"What are you doing here? Are you mad? Bringing the Belt here when you clearly know the dangers of - " she was cut off by Lief putting his hand to her lips.

"Hush Jasmine, or you'll wake up the whole of Deltora! I came, as you must already know, to get an answer to my question: Would you consider coming back to the palace with me? I am lost without you," he said hopefully.

"First answer one question yourself. What the heck is that beast?" she said pointing to the Looking Bug that stood by Lief. Thinking that Jasmine's face was extremely funny when she mentioned the Looking Bug, he burst into a fit of laughter.

"AHAHA! You- aha-should've seen- YOUR FACE! AHAHAHAAAAA!" he cried. He laughed so hard, that Jasmine got worried and ushered him inside. When he finally stopped laughing, they began to talk.

"Well, as an answer to your question, it's a Looking Bug. A traveler I met threw me a bag that was full of them. He said they'd help me find you and indeed they did. He said he bought them from Tom," said Lief.

"Ok, but why would he give a complete stranger a bag full of precious and useful creatures?" asked Jasmine skeptically.

"I don't know… I just know that they _were _useful and that I'm keeping the ones that are left," Lief said in reply. "What did you expect me to do? You leave without even telling me a real reason why, you don't even tell your own father, and you expect me to be okay with that? I know you grew up in the forest and had to be ruthless but you needn't have made everyone worry like that!"

Jasmine listened silently, waiting for just the right moment to speak. "Lief, you knew I would leave at some point! You have no right to be so angry with me for the reasons you have just stated. Who cares if I didn't tell Doom? And no, I didn't expect you to be happy with my decision but I at least thought that you'd stay in the palace and perform your kingly duties and forget about me! Honestly Lief, you just don't know what this is about do you?" she said spitefully.

"I have no right? No right? Jasmine of the Forests, I am the King. And as King, I order you to come to the palace and stay there for the remainder of your life!" he shouted.

Anger and disbelief pulsed through Jasmine's veins. She didn't believe that Lief had just ordered her to do something as_ king_. So what? "How dare you? And to think that I once loved you," she yelled as she stormed out of the nest, angry tears streaming down her cheeks. Didn't Lief understand anything?

Even though she was balancing on thin branches, Jasmine still managed an angry stomp. The trees shook and leaves fell, leaving a trail behind her.

"How dare he give me, of all the people in Deltora, _orders_? He knows that his so-called powers don't work on me. To me, he's still the same little boy I met in the Forests so long ago. Why did I even waste my time with that fool?" she muttered to herself.

Lief blinked slowly, trying to make sense of the situation. _Another fight? Things are getting worse between us. I shouldn't have come. I'd have been better off back at the Palace, and she wouldn't be so mad at me right now, _he thought to himself. Sitting on a nearby stool, Lief looked around the nest. There were small pots, jars of old herbs and ointments, a small cot made of leaves and old clothing, and a table with a lone tree stump for a chair. His eyes fell to a small, glittering mass on the table. It was a tiny replica of the Belt!

"What's this?" Lief wondered aloud. "It looks like the Belt of Deltora… Could it be? It must! It even has seven tiny gems on the steel frame!" He clasped it around his wrist. It fit perfectly. He began to think of why Jasmine would have such a thing.

"Maybe she missed me and made it to help her calm down! But how? Could it be that she was at the forge before I went looking for her? I doubt it, but it's possible. She must have used gems from other trinkets she stole from paralyzed Grey Guards." Lief shuddered at the thought of Jasmine robbing a doomed man. "No… Surely she must have found it. Or stolen it. I thought she promised me she would stop! No, let's just say she found it and leave it at that."

Still feeling cross, Jasmine's mind wandered back to the small version of the Belt of Deltora. _Has Lief found it? Probably so. _She wondered what Lief might be doing at that very moment, _probably looking for me again, _she thought. She could just imagine Lief stumbling through the forest, calling her name.

"Why can't he just give up and leave me alone? He's obviously angry with me, yet he comes in search of me? Why even bother to do it for a **second** time in a week?" muttered Jasmine under her breath, cursing Lief's persistence. Soon enough, she remembered Lief's question and the fact that she hadn't answered it. Shaking her head, she stopped stepping so hard. The trees instantly whispered thanks and Jasmine leapt across the path to another tree branch, a higher one this time, so she could see all around her.

She walked for a long time under the shade of hundreds of deep green leaves. Sun dappled her shoulders and face as she continued her stroll. Smelling a fire, she froze to the spot and listened. When she heard nothing but whistling and a man humming, did she investigate.

"Joshua, can you stop that incessant whistling? It's driving me mad!" yelled an old man of about the age of seventy.

"I'm sorry grandfather, but I'm just so anxious. We're finally getting our chance to take revenge on our new king for neglecting out fields!" said a young boy, no older than Jasmine.

"Hush Joshua! If someone were to hear you, who knows what may befall on us?" shushed the old man. Jasmine stayed rooted to her tree and waited to hear if anybody else came along or if either said another word.

"Grandfather, when will we be out of this stupid forest? It's so dark and there are odd creatures all around," complained Joshua. "And I also get a feeling like we're being watched…" Joshua looked all around. Not finding anything made him uneasy. Sensing his discontentment, the older man stood up and began to scout for predators.

"You see? There's noting here. Now finish your stew and leave me in peace. I am growing tired of your company. Traveling with a child isn't easy you know," he said gruffly.

Jasmine shifted positions, and in doing so, she fell. This was very unusual and she wasn't expecting it. Landing with a great thud, both men stood, swords drawn and pointed at her heart. In a deathly low whisper one of them said,

"Jasmine, we've been expecting you…" Then, she was knocked unconscious and dragged away.


	9. Forest Frenzies, Desert Dillemas

****Author's Note: Hai! Thanks for reading this so far, you dedicated reader you! In response to an Anon who commented asking about where I got my profile picture, I got it from Deviantart . com from The-Mongoose-137! Okies so, read on!** **

"Where the devil could she have gone? There's a trail of leaves, but then it stops!" muttered Lief. He began to wonder if something bad had happened to Jasmine. Could a bandit have attacked her? Or worse, killed by a monster. Pushing those awful thoughts out of his mind, Lief considered using a Looking Bug to aid him. Gingerly touching his shoulder, he decided against it. He had injured his sword arm when he tried to slow it down.

"Could Jasmine have been right? Maybe it was a trap the whole time. Perhaps the traveler that gave them to me had heard about our previous quest and was working for the Shadowlord! He may be the one who has Jasmine!" he cried out, feeling a pang of terror and sadness.

"If so, she could be long gone by now…" he mumbled. Putting his hand to the

Diamond and Topaz he felt more confident and yelled, "So I have no time to lose!"

Somewhere in Deltora, Jasmine was stirring. She smelled delightful cooking and when she noticed exactly how hungry she was, her eyes flew open. But then she remembered where she was. Or, where she knew she wasn't. She wasn't in the Forests of Silence; no it was much too bright for that. Perhaps in Del? By the time she squeezed her eyes shut again, her captors had noticed she was awake.

"So, I see that you have awoken fair maiden Jasmine. I was hoping to see your beautiful emerald eyes once more," said the younger one by the name of Joshua. The one called Grandfather snorted.

"You cannot see beauty in this wild one. Her hair is dull, her clothes ripped, and she's not even a woman yet!" said Grandfather with a look of disgust as he pointed over to where Jasmine sat propped up. His remark just angered Jasmine further.

"How dare you criticize me? Have you really just captured me because this one," she pointed to Joshua, "has a fancy for me? And you! You don't sound too happy about it! So why'd you do it? Tell me," she yelled furiously. Nobody would say such things about Jasmine in Del, even if they didn't think she was suited for life in the Palace.

"I will answer your questions, in the same order as to maintain a certain manner of civilization in this camp. No, we have not captured you _just _for Joshua. I have a better use for you although you may end up filling his lonely nights with pleasure," said Grandfather with a smirk. "Although I am not happy about this arrangement I will fulfill my duties to a man I know. And if you must know, my name is Frederick. So do not call me Grandfather as this one does."

Satisfied, Jasmine asked for some food. They gave her what they had, and dressed her head wounds. Then, they packed up camp and put a sack to her head, they once again knocked her unconscious.

As he ran past the same tree for just about the tenth time, Lief became aware that he was terribly lost. Looking around, nothing at all seemed the slightest bit familiar. Climbing up a tree, he frantically searched for something that he could recognize. Finding absolutely nothing, he leapt to the forest floor and sat there, dread and despair rolling in.

"How could I have gotten so lost? I don't understand! I went directly from the nest straight to the west. Or was it east? No, surely it was north. Ugh…" he groaned, trying to figure out where to go next.

"I could try to go back where I came from, but I just don't know exactly where that is either! What would Jasmine do?" he mumbled.

As he sat there, he was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone creeping behind him. The unknown man raised a club, but moved his foot and cracked a twig. Spinning around, Lief saw that this was not an ordinary bandit. Someone sent him. Unsheathing his sword, he struck the club. It split in two, but the masked man quickly pulled out a dagger. They fought well, their blades colliding and making a noise so loud that even the villagers living at the edge of the Forests of Silence heard the echoes. Neither of them said anything, for each was trying to plan out the other's moves. The masked man succeeded in slicing Lief's arm, leaving a deep gash that was spurting blood.

"Gah!" cried out Lief. His entire sleeve had turned red. When he looked up from his wound, the man had disappeared.

"Come back you coward!" cried Lief angrily. "A little scratch won't slow me down! Come out and fight!" Getting no reply after a few minutes, Lief turned his attention back to his arm. Grunting in pain, he ripped a strip of his shirt and used it to wrap the injury. Wishing he had taken some of Jasmine's herbal ointment, he picked up his sword and continued on to the rough, unused road he spotted while still on the tree.

It looked as if it hadn't been used in years. Weeds and dead leaves littered the dirt path. It wasn't even marked with a sign. Huge, moss covered rocks pointed north, orienting him a little better. Even though there were so many, Lief couldn't help but wonder why there were boulders in the middle of the forest. This was the only place where they were. Placed in a circle, they resembled a witch's spell casting ring, a huge circle of rocks with which the witches would curse victims, heal travelers, or just perform spells for rain or better crops. Shivering at the thought of a witch nearby, Lief pushed the thought out of his mind and kept walking.

Joshua and Frederick worked swiftly and silently. Tying Jasmine's hands didn't take more than a few seconds. Changing the wrappings on her head was done with precision. Dragging her limp body from the wagon was a cinch. Securing her to a tree? Please. Of course, they took some smelling salts they had stolen and woke her up so they could once again speak to her.

"Where… Are we…?" mumbled Jasmine who was just beginning to take in the effects of the salts. Her eyes adjusting to the insane amount of light, she noticed that they weren't in the Forests of Silence anymore. Instead, they had gone all the way to the Shifting Sands!

"How long was I out? What did you do to me? And answer the question: where. Are. We." She hissed.

As usual, Frederick was the one to answer her questions. "If you must know, you have been unconscious for about a week and we have done absolutely nothing to you except hit you on the head so you wouldn't know where we were going."

"And we are in the southeast border of the Shifting Sands!" added Joshua.

"Dammit Joshua! What do you think the sack was for? Now you've gone and ruined it! Sometimes I don't know if you really are your mother's son," yelled Frederick in annoyance at the failed plan of secrecy.

"What exactly do you plan to do with me? Am I just coming along to entertain you or do I have an actual purpose. I mean, if you're going to keep me hostage, you might as well have a motive, right?" Now Jasmine was taking her chances. She knew that if she asked to many questions, she might get knocked out again, and she didn't want that to happen again anytime soon.

"You will not be given all this information. You already know where we are so I refuse to answer anything else. Now, seeing as you have – soiled your clothing, you should put these on," he said, giving her a loose fitting tunic made of rough fabric, an old faded pair of leggings, and an equally aged soft leather belt. He ushered Joshua into their cart while she changed. He then gave her a meager meal of stale bread with old gravy. Not that she would protest at such a small meal, for it was all they really had. Gratefully finishing off her food, she began to wonder if she would ever see Lief again.

_I should try to escape soon. _She thought to herself. _I could try to do it while they're sleeping tonight and be gone by daylight! If only I had Lief's cloak… Oh well, I'll just have to make do with what I have, or rather, what I don't have. I'll see you soon Lief. I promise. _

Sighing, she stood up and walked to where the cart was resting. Looking at the tracks, she decided that she would follow them all the way out of the Shifting Sands if she were lucky enough for them to still be visible by the time she managed to slip away. Quickly turning away as to not draw attention to herself, she rammed straight into Joshua.

Turning beet red she stammered, "I-I'm so sorry! I d-didn't see you there!" Joshua just gave her an odd look and leaned closer to her. Sensing where this was going, Jasmine quickly took a half step backward, hitting her spine on the corner of the cart.

"Ouch! I'm bleeding now, aren't I?" she asked Joshua, lifting up the tunic so he could get a better look at her back.

Joshua, who wasn't accustomed to seeing so much of a woman's body uncovered, relished the moment and ran his finger down her spine, giving her the chills. Jasmine flipped the shirt back and carefully stepped around the caravan.

Joshua continued staring at Jasmine's body, making her extremely uncomfortable. This weird feeling is what led Jasmine to say something she'd regret only moments after the words came tumbling from her lips, "Don't even think about it! I might not look it, but I am in a relationship with Lief, the king of all Deltora. If you so much as touch me, when he finds me, he'll make you pay!" Dashing from the scene, Jasmine felt dreadful. _How could I have done that? I'm not even sure if what I said is true or not anymore! Oh why did I say that? Jasmine! You idiot! Now they'll kill Lief as soon as they see him, knowing that he didn't get there by chance!_

As soon as she was far enough away, she burst into angry tears. She was angry with Joshua for provoking her. She was angry at Lief for making her love him. Most of all though, she was angry with herself for ruining it and running away. It seemed that all her decisions were just getting her deeper into the labyrinth of problems we call life.


	10. Romilda

****Author's Note: So I understand that the comment I posted was a bit melodramatic… Sorry about that! I was kind of bummed that the story was so low on the page. So I'll stop being so stupid and keep writing. This must end! Okies, Read On!****

Cautiously, Lief looked around as he began along the ragged path. He took one step, then another, then stopped. He thought he had heard moaning.

_That's nothing! I hope… Nothing had better jump out at me, whether it is an animal or person, or I might just have a heart attack and die right here. Still… _Thought Lief, his heart racing for just about the billionth time since the beginning of his journey. His eyes darted from tree to tree trying to find the source of the unusual sound.

Hearing a soft cackle, he drew is sword and faced what he thought was his opponent. As he whirled around, he hit his injured arm on a tree branch and fell to the floor.

"Great," said Lief in-between gasps of pain. Picking himself up, he was just in time to witness the ugliest woman he had ever seen materialize right in front of him. His eyes widened, as he looked her up and down.

Mud colored eyes squinted at him, an ugly pointed and curved nose covered in odd lumps just beneath. Straw colored hair that had obviously been neglected for a long time framed her plump face in a thorny looking halo. She wore a dark robe splattered in who knows what as she pointed a dark ebony wand at Lief's face.

"And what do you think you're doing, trampling my dearies? It took years to get them that way. Blasted travelers always step on them! You're awfully young, I think you'd make a delicious dinner for me," she said as Lief scrambled to get up. "Don't you dare think about leaving me. I am Romilda, the witch of these forests. I control all of the wicked beasts that roam about. And who might you be?"

At a loss for words, Lief simply nodded. _I didn't know that there were witches in these parts! Thaegan was farther out, past the Shifting Sands. And she's so… Unsightly. At least Thaegan was prettier… What do I do now?_

"Speak boy! Or else you may never do so again," shouted Romilda angrily. She had a very short temper and lost it easily.

"M-my name is Twig mam. I come from Del. I mean no harm to your forest. Please, let me pass," said Lief with all the fake confidence that he could muster. As if that was a joke, Romilda began to laugh hysterically.

"You- expect me- to let you- pass? Not a chance! Ha! You're too funny Twig of Del," she said while still laughing. She then decided to take Lief to her home hidden beneath the trees. She stood him up and pointed her wand to his back, and in this fashion, they made their way back to her small house.

When Lief saw the house, he had to stifle a laugh. It was the smallest cottage he had ever seen! It was covered with moss and dead plants. Once inside, he was amazed. It was the size of a large castle! It was decorated with tapestries and looked much like the guardian of the diamond's palace did.

"Are you surprised?" asked Romilda when she saw the look on Lief's face. Quickly, she flicked her wand and chains bound Lief to the floor in a painful position.

"Gah! What… Happened? This… Hurts…" he said weakly.

"I'm just restraining you until the water reaches a boil. If a few bones break, that won't affect the taste to feel free to try to get out. Hahaha!" she said with a smirk on her face. She then disappeared to survey her road for other travelers.

Struggling to remain calm, Lief took in the full situation.

_I'm stuck. In a witch's house. Alone. In the middle of who knows where. And I need to get out. How? No idea. When? Don't know that either. All I know is that I need to get to Jasmine. Fast._


	11. The Contact

****Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry again about not updating as I promised… -_-' No excuses this time, just me being lazy… Drat! I keep forgetting to put the disclaimer thing… I don't own Deltora Quest or any of the original characters. Read On!****

Somewhere nearing the outskirts of the Shifting Sands, Jasmine trudged along behind Frederick's wagon. His mood had gotten sour from all the traveling, heat, and discomfort caused by the assignment that the Shadowlord had bestowed upon him. The responsibility was too great for the old man, but he was afraid of the consequences that could follow if he didn't succeed.

He had seen the little moment between Joshua and Jasmine, and he wasn't happy. He had not only forbidden Joshua from looking at her and talking to or about her, but he had chained Jasmine behind the wagon and forced her to walk at the pace of the horse that led them through the desert.

Of course, Jasmine didn't seem as though anything had happened between her and Joshua and she intended to keep her distance from him as long as they were traveling together.

Frederick thought back to a few days ago, trying to remember what Jasmine had said about the King… But what was it? Ah yes, she said that she was in a "relationship" with King Lief. Ha! As if a girl like that could ever make someone love her. But then again… He looked at Joshua; it is possible that it's true… If it was, he was probably looking for her at this very moment.

It was then that he chose to contact another one of his partners, Romilda, the Witch of the Forests.

Pulling out a small shard of glass he chanted, "Powers ultra quaero vobis auxilium! Sed hoc vitrum Romilda et profectum eius indicate mihi! _Powers from beyond, I seek your help! Connect this glass with Romilda and show me of her progress!_"

As he chanted over and over again, the shard began to shimmer and shine. It began to glow black and red and from it, emerged the ugly face of Romilda.

"What do you want Frederick? Can't you see I'm in the middle of my patrol?" yelled Romilda impatiently. She wanted to at least boil the human she had come across before this old man poked his nose into her business.

"Romilda. I order you to tell me of your progress. Have you caught anyone? And I need you to lure the King of Deltora to your path and hold him there until I come for him, is that clear?" whispered Frederick. Instantly seeing that she was hiding something, he hissed, "show me the inside of your home straightaway. I must see for myself that you are not hiding something."

Knowing that she couldn't get out of this, she confessed, "Ok, ok! I caught a human today who goes by the name of Twig. He claims to have come from Del, but I doubt that he is who he says he is. Describe to me what this King looks like."

Frederick smirked. He knew that he had exactly what he needed, "He is blonde and has blue eyes. He wears a magic cloak and the Belt Of Deltora although it is likely that it is not in his possession at the moment if he is a half-decent king. What does this prisoner of yours have in common with him?"

"He, he fits the description perfectly! Although I have not focused on such a small detail, I am almost certain that the Belt is on his waist! Oh I have caught the King! Just think about how the Shadowlord will praise me! I am sure that he-" she was cut off by Frederick, who was getting very frustrated with the witch.

"I have changed my mind. How fast can you get the boy to my exact location?" demanded Frederick, he was not going to let this opportunity slip by him. This was exactly what his Master wanted! And now he could make it easier for him, he would become a hero!

"Well, I need to know where you are to begin with. My magic can only go so far. It can take anywhere from a few hours, to a few months," said Romilda nervously. She had never had a need to use her magic to transport from one place to another, let alone with another person! She wasn't sure that she could even do it! She broke into a cold sweat at the thought of her punishment.

"I am reaching the edge of the Southeast border of the Shifting Sands. I will soon make it to No-Man's-Land. Hurry up and get him here before I leave the desert."

"I will try my hardest, but I will not promise anything. Good-bye." Romilda slid her fingers over the surface of her shard of glass, blurring the image of Frederick and began walking back to her cottage and a very flustered Lief.


	12. To the Shifting Sands

****A/N: Ok everyone… It's official, I suck… BUT don't hate me I'm updating like right now (you're reading this aren't you?) so yeah… Um so sorry for taking so darn long to update… I'm lazy and tired most of the time but here you go… Usual disclaimer, I don't own Deltora Quest or any of the original characters** **

"Well _Twig of Del,_ it seems you have lied to old Romilda," said the ugly witch Romilda, as she turned to where Lief sat uncomfortably chained. "You are not who you say you are… In fact, I am certain you are Lief of Del, King of Deltora."

Lief's eyes grew wide. "_I have to protect the Belt," _thought Lief. "How are you certain? I could just be a random traveler, caught by your magic," he said coolly.

Romilda's eyes flickered over to his waist, right where the Belt lay under his cloak. "If you are a traveler as you say, then you wouldn't mind if I took off your cloak… It must be hot in here for you, allow me," she said as she made her way to where Lief was and undid the strings. Sure enough, the Belt hung around his waist, glittering in the candlelight.

"Ha! He was right!" screamed Romilda as she hopped around the room in ecstasy.

This was exactly what she needed to be recognized by Master! Now all she had to do was take this boy to Frederick and her fate was sealed!

Lief didn't dare speak, who knew what trouble he could get into. Not to mention he still hadn't found Jasmine. He looked around and tried to find the best escape route, but alas, they were in the middle of Romilda's magic house and there was no way he'd be able to break free from these damned chains.

Romilda was busy preparing for the feat of magic she was about to perform and was frantically running from room to room trying to gather herself. About an hour later she appeared once more.

She unchained Lief from the post that was holding him but was careful not to unbind him completely. She led him to the center of an odd room and before he had time to take in the scene, she began chanting something in a language Lief had never heard before, and soon the room began to spin and he blacked out.

When Lief finally woke from the travel, he noticed he was lying in sand.

"Huh? Where am I?" he murmured through the haze that he couldn't seem to get out of his head. "Is this, a desert?" He looked around and something seemed familiar, "The Shifting Sands," he whispered.

A cackle came from his left side. As he turned his head, a sharp pain shot all the way down his spine. He winced, something was definitely wrong here. He tried to sit up but he realized that would be impossible, given his current state.

"You have guessed right young King. We are in No-Man's Land," stated Romilda. "Is magical travel too much for you lad?" she laughed again. As soon as she had began the spell, Lief had passed out.

"Shut up witch. Tell me why we are here," said Lief angrily. There was no way he was going to let her make a fool of him any more.

"Well if I told you it wouldn't be much of a surprise now would it?" she said lightly. She walked a little distance and said, "Get up. We have to meet them over this dune. The wagon won't make it."

When Lief would not get up she yanked on the chain and dragged him to his feet. There was pain running all down his back to his legs. He forced himself to think about Jasmine, not about the intense pain that he was in. He managed a half limp over the dune.

After what seemed like ages of painful walking, they finally approached a small wagon. An old man came forward.

"Ah, Romilda! You have done an excellent job, Master will be pleased," he said gleefully.

"Frederick, thank you. May I ask why the hell you made me come all the way out to these blasted deserts?" said Romilda with an edge in her voice.

"Not now Romilda. Just get the _King _into the wagon will you?" said Frederick sharply. "Joshua! Come help. And bring the girl with you!" he yelled in the general direction of the wagon.

"Coming grandfather!" came a voice from the back of the vehicle.

"Hey watch it! Don't touch me there!" yelled another voice from over there.

Lief faintly recognized the voice, though everything seemed hazy again. He could feel himself slipping back into unconsciousness.

"Lief!" yelled the person.

That was the last thing he heard before he fell under.


	13. Something's wrong with Lief

**A/N: Hey guys new chapter :) **

**and in response to an Anon that reviewed, its not much but here you go! **

**(to all of you that didn't read the review too bad :3) **

**Thanks everyone that stayed with me through my negligence!**

**And sorry guys, I'm not Emily Rodda; I don't own any of the original characters… **

Confused. Annoyed. Worried. That's how Jasmine felt right now.

After weeks of being tugged behind a wagon in the middle of the Shifting Sands with two strange men by the names of Frederick and Joshua, a witch just suddenly appears with Lief chained by her side.

'_What was her name again? Bromilda? No. Oh yes, its Romilda,' _thought Jasmine idly as she watched Lief in his comatose state. _'What exactly was she doing with Lief? And why suddenly show up in the middle of the Shifting Sands? This makes no sense…' _

Sitting in the back of the wagon that she had finally gained access to, she scooted over to where Lief lay.

Without thinking, she grabbed his hand.

"Oh Lief, what sort of mess did we get ourselves into now?" she whispered to his un-listening ears.

She slowly brought his hand to her lips and lightly kissed his knuckles like she always imagined someone in love would do.

Lief's eyes fluttered open and she quickly dropped his hand, blushing a deep red.

"H-hey Jasmine, what's going on? Where are we?" he whispered in a ragged voice. He didn't seem to notice Jasmine's flushed cheeks.

Jasmine didn't know exactly what to say; she didn't exactly know what was going on either.

"I'm not exactly sure… One moment I'm being dragged behind this wagon, and the next, you're passing out next to a witch. I don't really know what to make of all this," she told him as if it was no big deal. She wasn't about to let him know he was forgiven. Not yet anyway.

"Oh, that's nice," he said quietly.

'_That's nice? What's wrong with him?' _thought Jasmine, concern shadowing her dark green eyes.

"Lief, are you ok? You don't seem right," she told him.

"Aw Jasmine, I'm perfectly alright!" he said with a lopsided grin. "You look absolutely beautiful, have you done something with your hair?"

Despite the current situation, she couldn't help but blush at this statement. Suddenly she was jolted back to reality and she was worried that the witch had done something to him.

"No Lief you're not okay, don't you realize where we are? We're in the back of some bad person's wagon and something's definitely wrong with you," she said sternly.

Placing a hand on Lief's forehead, she noticed he was burning hot. She undid his cloak and looked around for anything to bring down his temperature.

When she found nothing, she settled for fanning him with a wooden plank that had come loose.

"Jasmine, have you ever teleported?" asked Lief loudly. "'Cause that's what the witch-lady did earlier!" he said excitedly, "Except I was asleep for most of it…"

Jasmine had heard something about magical travel before, possibly Lief had read about it before and told her.

If that was the case, then maybe the spell had some sort of effect on Lief… Whatever it was had to wait until she could figure out what was happening to them.

"Lief," she said softly. "Go to sleep for now, everything's going to be fine, ok?" She brushed aside some hair that was plastered to his forehead and gave him a light kiss.

Lief only smiled and closed his eyes. It was only a matter of seconds before he was in a fitful sleep and Jasmine could reflect on he day's events.

The wagon only kept rolling on, never once stopping to check on the two that inhabited the back space.

Jasmine could hear some voices and she listened intently, hoping for some clue as to what was going on. What she heard made her eyes widen in fear.

There was no way she'd ever go back there.

No way she'd go to where her father lost his mind.

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><p><strong>AN: sorry guys if this is sort of sloppy or short, I didn't have much time to write today, my mom's been pissy... well thanks for reading :)**


	14. Escaping into the Desert

"_As soon as we get them to the Shadowlands, the Master will know exactly what to do with them."_

"_But how will he know that he won't just send them to the arenas and waste our hard work? I think we should do something with them first."_

"_No. We will do what has been commanded of us. Nothing more, and nothing less. Then, we shall be rewarded for our deed. The Shadowlord will be pleased." _

No. There was no way. They couldn't be going to the Shadowlands. There was no way Jasmine was going to let them lead her to her death.

Panic overtook her as she sought a way to escape the clutches of these evil people.

Then Lief made a sound in his sleep, reminding her that her instincts for survival had caused her to forget Lief. She had to get out, but she couldn't leave him to the Shadowlord.

Sneaking out of the wagon seemed the only way to escape; yet it left them so vulnerable to any threat. Any sand creature could appear and devour them in a matter of moments out in the open, though being eaten alive seemed like a better death than being tortured in the Shadowlands.

"Lief," she gently nudged him to rouse him. "Lief, we have to go," she whispered as quietly as she could.

"Where are we going?" said Lief loudly.

Jasmine quickly shushed him and explained the situation and the urgent need to escape unnoticed. Although he was still a bit woozy and feverish, they quietly assembled a few objects, namely Lief's cloak and a few scraps of food they stole from barrels, and prepared themselves to leap from the back of the wagon and run.

"_Joshua, go check on the prisoners!" _barked a voice from the front that could only be Frederick as the wagon stopped abruptly.

Alarmed, Lief and Jasmine threw the small bundle of food into a nearby barrel and threw themselves to the floor, and pretended to be asleep.

"Gramps! They seem to be asleep!" called Joshua as he peered into the dimness of the wagon's cargo hold.

Hearts pounding and temperature rising, Lief and Jasmine lay as quietly as possible and attempted to slow their breathing.

"_Then hurry up and get back here! Stop wasting time! We have a schedule to keep!" _yelled Frederick angrily. If they were just sleeping, what was he still doing back there?

A few moments later, a complaining Joshua had left and the wagon started moving again, Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief.

They had not been discovered. They could now escape into the desert without fear of being discovered until they decided to check on them again.

Her eyes darted around and located the barrel in which she had tossed the bundle of food. At a glance, it just seemed to be a regular barrel of food. But upon closer inspection, it contained Lief's sword, among other useful items.

She quickly retrieved the sword, a thin blanket, and a length of rope. She tossed the sword to where Lief sat, still dazed, and she rolled up the blanket and bundle of food together and tied them to her back with the rope.

"Lets get going Lief," she whispered as she grabbed his sweaty hand and found her way to the entrance of the back of the wagon. She opened it and looked out to the desert that was quickly passing by as the horses trotted through the sand.

"On the count of three," she began. "One… Two… THREE!" and she and Lief leaped into the sand and rolled to a stop. She allowed herself five seconds to regain her balance before standing and running as far away from the wagon as possible.

As she stood, she noticed Lief looking as if he was about to throw up.

"Lief, come on! Get up, please we have to move," she said anxiously. He could throw up after they ran far enough into the Shifting Sands.

"I-I can't J-jasmine. I have to– " he retched and began to shiver uncontrollably.

"Lief! We don't have time for this! Either control yourself or I'm leaving you," Jasmine commanded. They just couldn't afford to sit here any longer.

"Then g-go on without me…" said Lief softly.

"Lief, there is no way I'm leaving you, now gather yourself. We have to go," she said sternly.

As Lief tried to protest, Jasmine just lifted him to his feet and put his arm over her shoulders. Lief winced, the pain in his spine and legs still hadn't subsided, and lying on a wooden floor all day hadn't helped either.

"Jasmine, I'm serious. I-I'll just slow you down," Lief protested. Jasmine just set her lips in a straight line and took a few steps, testing Lief's stability.

"Lief, just be quiet and try to walk," hissed Jasmine as she tried her hardest to calm down.

After a few minutes of extreme pain on Lief's part and a few feet of dragging a boy on Jasmine's part, Lief collapsed, pulling Jasmine down with him.

Jasmine was thoroughly annoyed at Lief's inability to walk more than a few feet at a time, but she kept her mouth shut as she wiped herself off and pulled Lief back up again.

"Just leave me," Lief said after falling for about the tenth time. "I know you're annoyed because we can't get very far, what with me falling all the time, so just leave me here. I'll die eventually either way, so just take care of yourself."

"_Damn Lief and his ability to see right through me," _thought Jasmine angrily.

"Just try your best, we're going to get out of here together," she said through gritted teeth. "I've already told you that I will not leave you here and that won't change however many times we fall. Just stop suggesting it and use your energy for something more productive, like walking."

Lief, who was surprised at her tone, realized she was right. _"What she said makes sense, we're not going to get anywhere if all I do is sentence myself to death by desert," _he thought. With a newfound determination to get out of this alive, Lief continued to walk as far as he could and as quickly as possible.

"Alright, I think we can stop here for now," said Jasmine who was now satisfied with their distance as she slid down a dune with Lief.

"Phew," sighed Lief with relief. Walking so far had taken a lot out of him that he didn't have.

His temperature continued to climb as the sun dipped under the horizon, giving way to a relentlessly cold and starry night.

Soon, he started to shiver and a cold sweat had broken out on his brow. Even huddled beneath his cloak and a blanket Jasmine had tucked him into, he would not stop shaking.

"Jesus Lief, how did you manage to get so sick?" asked Jasmine as she coaxed a bit of the food they had stolen into his body.

"I have no idea…" replied a weak Lief with a slight chuckle. "But I do seem to have impeccable timing, don't you think?"

Jasmine laughed and said, "Yes, because being sick in the middle of the Shifting Sands has to be the best thing to ever happen to you!"

As the moon crossed the sky, Jasmine got colder and colder. Lief noticed this and offered her a spot under the blanket with him.

At first she refused, saying that she would get sick too and then getting out of the desert would be ten times harder. Eventually though, the frigid air got the best of her and crawled under the blanket next to Lief where together, they fell asleep intertwined in each other's arms peacefully.

A few miles away however, their escape had been discovered.

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><p><strong>AN: There you are guys, chapter 14! Wow, never knew this would reach ****fourteen**** chapters! Thanks for reading everyone :) And sorry for the delay... I blame writer's block... **


	15. Discovery and Sand

Miles away from the sleeping bodies of Lief and Jasmine, Frederick and the others decided to stop for the night.

"I still think I should cast some protection spells, old man," said Romilda grumpily as she stepped down from the wagon.

"I will not rely on your useless magic for protection. It is bad enough that I had to ask you to transport the little King," replied Frederick in a huff as he made his way around the wagon.

"Alright runts, its time to stop for the ni-" as he pulled aside the canvas covering the backside of the wagon, he discovered Lief and Jasmine's escape.

"Wha- what happened? They've escaped!" yelled Frederick in a rage.

Romilda's eyes widened as she heard his cries.

"Are you pulling my leg old man?" she yelled as she and Joshua went to meet him.

Joshua's jaw dropped in shock, "But how did they escape, we were moving the whole time!"

"Obviously they jumped out of the wagon, halfwit," said Romilda dryly. "They waited for out attention to be elsewhere, and they jumped and ran away."

Frederick was still seething where he stood.

How could he have let the prisoners out of his sight? He had to get them to the Master, or face terrible punishment. How was he supposed to explain this?

He shuddered at the thought of his punishment for this.

_No, _he thought. He couldn't just go to the Master empty-handed. He had to retrieve the boy and the wild girl. He had to.

A while later and a few miles away, our young King Lief was stirring.

_Hot._

That was Lief's first thought as he woke. He hadn't opened his eyes, but he didn't need them to become aware of the unbearable heat radiating from his body and the ground around him.

_Thirsty._

Thirst was the next thing to come to his mind.

His mouth was gritty and dry, and he couldn't make even the smallest amount of saliva if his life depended on it

_Jasmine._

As soon as Jasmine flashed in his thoughts, his eyes flew open. He was instantly blinded by the insane amount of light that the desert reflected.

He screwed his eyes shut and turned his head and buried his face in a mass of tangled curls that could only be Jasmine's.

Suddenly he remembered why they were there.

_We escaped from evil people. I wonder what had Jasmine so scared about our destination…_

He shifted positions so he uncovered himself from the blanket and faced Jasmine. Her face was peaceful as usual, its usual hardness melting into the face of a beautiful young woman.

_If only Jasmine could forgive me for whatever I did to make her leave…_

As if on cue, Jasmine's eyes fluttered open and she stared straight into Lief's loving face.

Lief felt a blush creep across his face and Jasmine's face turned from one of sleepiness, to confusion, to alarm.

"How long have I slept?" she shrieked as she bolted upright. "How long have you been awake? Are you feeling better? Oh, we should've taken turns guarding! How could I have been so careless? We could've been killed last night! Or robbed! Are you okay?"

Lief put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down and tried to get her to relax a little.

"Jasmine, calm down. We're fine, nothing happened," he said gently. "And to answer your questions, you slept peacefully through the night. I've been up for only s few short minutes and I am indeed feeling better. You weren't being careless last night, you were just tired and we're both fine. Not dead."

"Or robbed," he said with a grin.

Jasmine sighed and looked down at her hands.

"Still, I could've lost you last night," she said in a voice so low, that Lief had to ask her to repeat it.

"I said I could've lost you, okay?" she snapped, embarrassed to have to say it again.

She was not ready to forgive him for everything so she quickly added, "Look at us. Lost in the desert _again._"

Lief looked at her intently. He sensed that she was still mad at him, but he also picked up something else. Something he could not name.

"Well I, for one, am completely parched," he announced. "Do we have any water?"

"Um, yes," said Jasmine as she scurried over to the small bundle that she had managed to steal.

She handed him a water bottle and took out strips of dried beef for each of them.

As Lief sat up to drink, he winced and noticed that even though the pain in his spine and legs had somewhat subsided, but not nearly enough.

He put his hand to the diamond of the Belt of Deltora for strength and finished sitting up so that he could eat.

"The sun is well up in the sky," said Jasmine between bites of beef. "We should get going soon, I'm sure they have discovered our disappearance and are looking four us as we speak."

Lief agreed and packed up whatever few belongings were strewn around them and set off across the dunes. They were at a slow pace so that Lief could get along without needing Jasmine to support him, but they moved on nonetheless.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry guys! I haven't updated in ages... School has me all frazzled and I've also been working on another fanfic for Kickin It but I'm not trying to recruit readers (unless you want to) so I'll move on.  
>So here's chapter 15, a piece that I've had half-typed for AGES but never really finished typing, but here you go :) Hope you all liked it and stay alert for new chapters!<strong>


	16. Mysterious Shape in the Distance

The sun was beating down relentlessly, draining the energy from Lief and Jasmine as they trudged through the desert. Dragging their feet in the sand – they had given up on covering their tracks – they both scanned the horizon, searching for anything to break the never changing landscape.

Looking down to where Jasmine was walking beside him, Lief thought that they'd never get out of the desert alive.

"_I've led Jasmine to her death," _he thought as his mood slipped from tired to depressed. _"We're going to die here in the desert, forever trapped in this arid land. Our friends or family will never see us again, and Deltora will fall into turmoil at the news of the death of their king and the loss of the Belt…"_

He was so lost in thought that he had stopped looking forward. As a result, he did not see Jasmine jump for joy when she spotted something in the distance.

"Lief! Oh Lief look!" she cried, pointing out a little to the west of where they had been walking.

Lief looked up and followed her finger, but did not see a thing. He thought Jasmine was playing some sort of cruel joke on him as retaliation for all the trouble he had caused her. He sighed and looked back down to his feet, shaking his head and saying nothing.

Jasmine was slightly annoyed by his reaction and she smacked his arm, "Don't you see it Lief? Something's out there, and by the looks of it, its some sort of building. And where there are buildings, there are people. And if there's people, we can get out of here!"

"Jasmine, I see nothing! I don't have the vision you have; so don't blame me for not seeing a speck off in the distance. If you're right, then _maybe _we can reach it and _maybe _we can get help. But I doubt that we will do any more that die here in this accursed desert," he growled, the heat was taking its toll on him, body and mind.

Jasmine, who did not want to cause any more trouble, said nothing. If he did not see it, then he did not see it. There was no way to force him to see something he couldn't. They would just have to get closer and hope that someone would be there to receive them.

As they walked on, Jasmine kept pointing out this strangely shaped building, although Lief still could not see it. It was rounded at the top, sort of like the entrance to a cave, and sloped down into the ground. The more Jasmine looked at it, the less she thought it was some sort of building.

"_What could it be?" _she asked herself, thinking of every possible thing it could be. _"Could it be a cave? No, we are not even close to a mountain, or anything stable enough to hold a cave… A new sort of dwelling? Doubtful. What could it be?" _

At last Lief could see it, a small rounded shape in the distance.

"But what is it?" he asked, baffled as to what this mysterious thing was. Jasmine just shook her head and said she had been thinking for hours at to what it could be, but came up with no answers.

As night fell and the air grew frigid, the pair decided to sleep for a short while and then continue their travel in the night, so they could reach their destination quicker.

Sleeping in turns, they both absorbed as much energy as they could and set off again, eager to arrive. They spoke very little, only breaking the silence to ask for water or a bit of food, consumed by their thoughts.

Lief was feeling in better spirits, he almost began to hum but stopped himself to be able to concentrate on his guessing of what it could be they were heading toward. _"Could it be we are nearing a new civilization that Del has never heard of before? If that is the case, will we be welcomed with open arms or thrown out of the city? What if it is the mouth to a secret underground tunnel leading out of the Shifting Sands? Could we really be this close to escaping this horrible land?" _

Shivering, Jasmine began to rethink traveling during the night. It was easier to keep warm when they were moving, she knew that much. But was it worth it? They could catch something, and getting sick wasn't an option. She shook her head; anything to get to their destination quicker was best. She did not want to risk their efforts because she was cold.

She looked up at the stars, mystified as to how there could be so many out here, when in the city she could barely see any. Lief picked up on her wonder and whispered, "It's beautiful isn't it?"

She nodded, not wanting to tear her view from the night sky. She breathed out and looked back to the spot in the distance, surprised by what she saw.

"_How is this possible? Did we really move this quickly?" _she wondered. The speck in the distance had turned into an enormous opening, the mouth of a large tunnel. _"Where could this lead?"_

Lief had also been surprised at the largeness of the opening, _"Is this a… tunnel?" _He looked at Jasmine who looked at him, equally surprised, mirroring his own reaction.

The mouth of the tunnel seemed to have been carved out of a sand dune, only it was rock instead of sand. It sloped downward at a sharp angle and Lief could only guess it would level out further down. It was extremely dark in there, and both were apprehensive about going into it. What could be hiding down there? Would there be people or monsters?

Standing on its edge, they both debated whether or not to go in it, "But Jasmine, it's dark, we don't know what's in it!"

"Lief, this is about our only chance at getting out of this desert! And besides, did we just walk all this way to chicken out and run away?" said Jasmine. She just wanted to go in it and get it over with.

"Can't we at least wait until the sun comes up to go in there? Then we can have a little light to see what's in it," argued Lief, who wasn't too keen on the idea of plunging into the unknown in the middle of the night.

Sighing, Jasmine agreed, "Fine. But the moment we have enough sun, we're going in. No more negotiating around the inevitable, we have to see what's in there."

Lief, who was pretty satisfied with himself, sat down on the side of the entrance to the tunnel to get some rest. Jasmine sat by him, clearly annoyed by having to wait to go into the mysterious tunnel. She crossed her arms and stared straight ahead, waiting for the sun to rise, signaling that they could venture into the dark abyss.

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><p><strong>AN: Hey! So there was chapter 16! Sorry that I sort of disappeared again... Stupid school has me going mad, so I really haven't had time to think of anything to write, but here you go :) I'm going to try to update by the end of next week maybe but I can't make any promises okay? Thanks for reading!**


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